White Heather: A Novel (Volume 3 of 3)Black, William
General
White Heather: A Novel (Volume 3 of 3)
Black, William
Scotland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
But it was his own coat that Jack Huysen had quickly taken off; and when
Carry Hodson was wrapped in it, and when the women were doing what they
could to restore her circulation, he fetched the other coat for the
young Doctor, and made him put that on, though the latter declared he
was all right now. And then the Doctor took the tiller, slacked out the
mainsheet, and once more they were running before the wind towards Fort
George. Not a word had been said about the cause of the mishap or its
possible consequences.
These at first—and to Jack Huysen’s inexpressible joy—seemed to be
trivial enough. Immediately she had recovered consciousness she sate
up, and began to say a few words—though with some difficulty; and
indeed, so brave was she, and so determined to do something to relieve
the obvious anxiety of these good friends of hers, that when at length
they reached the landing-stage and got ashore she declared that she was
quite recovered, that she could walk to the hotel as well as any of
them, that she had never felt better in her born days. Nay, she made a
joke of the whole matter, and of her heavy skirts, and of the possible
contents of Jack Huysen’s coat-pockets; and when they did reach the
hotel, and when she had changed her wet garments, she came down again
looking perfectly well—if a little bit tired.
It was not until the afternoon that she began to complain of shiverings;
and then again, when dinner time arrived, Mrs. Lalor came down with the
message that Carry had a slight headache, and would rather remain in her
room. Next morning, too, she thought she would rather not get up; she
had a slight cough, and her breathing was difficult; she had most relief
when she lay quite still.
’What does this mean, Tom?’ Jack Huysen said—and as if he feared the
answer.
’I hope it means nothing at all,’ was the reply; but the young Doctor
looked grave, and moved away, as if he did not wish to have any further
talking.
However, there was no perceptible change for the worse that day; and
Miss Carry, when she could speak at all, said that she was doing very
well, and implored them to go away on their usual excursions, and leave
her to herself. A servant might sit outside in the passage, she said; if
she wanted her, she could ring. Of course, this only sufficed to set
Emma Kerfoot into a fit of weeping and sobbing—that Carry should think
them capable of any such heartlessness.
But on the following morning matters were much more serious. She could
hardly speak at all; and when she did manage to utter a few panting
words she said it was a pain in her chest that was troubling her—not
much; no, no, not much, she said; she wished they would all go away and
amuse themselves; the pain would leave; she would be all right by and
by.
’Jack, look here,’ said the young Doctor, when they were together; ’I’m
afraid this is pneumonia—and a sharp attack too.’
’Is it dangerous?’ Huysen said quickly, and with rather a pale face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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